# Is "The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip" by George Saunders a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders (Villard, 2000) is identified by: Illustrated in color throughout by Lane Smith. US Villard (Random House) first edition (ISBN 0-375-50383-8), published August 2000, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Illustrated in color throughout by Lane Smith
- First US edition published by Villard (Random House), New York, August 2000
- ISBN 0-375-50383-8
- First printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; issued in a priced dust jacket, the printed price present on unclipped copies
- Publisher imprint reads Villard
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Saunders |
| Publisher | Villard |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Illustrated in color throughout by Lane Smith |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Illustrated in color throughout by Lane Smith. First US edition published by Villard (Random House), New York, August 2000; ISBN 0-375-50383-8; 96 pages. First printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; issued in a priced dust jacket, the printed price present on unclipped copies.

## Is this the true first?
US Villard (Random House) first edition (ISBN 0-375-50383-8), published August 2000, is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; note that a later Random House reissue (2015) is a distinct printing and carries a 2015 date to the rear jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip* by George Saunders a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-very-persistent-gappers-of-frip
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.